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US Visa Applications Must Be Submitted from Country of Residence or Nationality

(travel.state.gov)
115 points cdipaolo | 13 comments | 07 Sep 25 16:56 UTC | HN request time: 0.022s | source | bottom
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HeavenFox ◴[07 Sep 25 19:40 UTC] No.45161474[source]▶
This is a significant problem for Chinese H1B holders, because the visa sticker for Chinese passport is only valid for one year. You can stay for longer, but cannot come back if you leave the U.S. Historically folks have been getting their visa renewed in Canada or Mexico, and this is already a huge annoyance - not only do you have to make a pointless trip, but also appointments in these countries are very hard to get as a Third Country National (TCN).

Sure, most other countries don't allow TCNs to apply for visa, but they also don't require their long term residents to leave the country to renew their visa.

So, the correct solution to this is Domestic Visa Renewal. A pilot program was run last year, but it was limited to Indian H1B holders. Without this program in place, disallowing TCNs is simply cruel.

replies(1): >>45162758 #
1. em-bee ◴[07 Sep 25 22:27 UTC] No.45162758[source]▶
not having Domestic Visa Renewal sounds like the most ridiculous oversight. i get making your first application from home, but renewal should always be in your target country. it's absurd to demand that people travel home once a year to renew their visa.
replies(1): >>45163412 #
2. pandaman ◴[08 Sep 25 00:00 UTC] No.45163412[source]▶
Visa stamp is not needed to stay in the US, it's only to cross the border into the US. Also, coincidentally, a visa stamp can only be issued by a consulate and I don't know of any country that has consulates on its own land.
replies(1): >>45163992 #
3. em-bee ◴[08 Sep 25 01:43 UTC] No.45163992[source]▶
a visa stamp can only be issued by a consulate

as i said, that's a weird US rule. i do not believe that there are many countries in the world that have such a rule. i have never encountered something like that on my travels.

I don't know of any country that has consulates on its own land

not relevant because most countries simply don't need a consulate to renew visas.

replies(1): >>45164743 #
4. pandaman ◴[08 Sep 25 04:54 UTC] No.45164743{3}[source]▶
I imagine countries, that stamp visas in the port of arrival are such but since US requires extensive checks and interview of a visa applicant, like many other countries, there is just no possible need for that.

>not relevant because most countries simply don't need a consulate to renew visas.

It's pretty relevant since what other institution is equipped to vet foreigners for visa eligibility?

replies(1): >>45166366 #
5. em-bee ◴[08 Sep 25 09:52 UTC] No.45166366{4}[source]▶
what other institution is equipped to vet foreigners for visa eligibility?

that would be the foreign ministry office in the country.

in china i have my visa renewed once in a small countryside town. they were big enough to have an office there. every town has one. in germany too. the local government office has a branch of the foreign ministry.

i have never had to leave a country to renew my visa. that's just insane. in fact that's even true for the US, at least for non-immigrant visa: https://www.usa.gov/extend-visa

what the US makes different is that it separates the work permit from the visa, and they get different validity times. and while having a valid work permit is enough to stay in the country, a new visa is required to reenter. which other country does that? everywhere else the visa itself is required to stay, a work permit is not enough, and consequently, you also get to renew that visa in the country.

replies(1): >>45167500 #
6. pandaman ◴[08 Sep 25 12:34 UTC] No.45167500{5}[source]▶
I think the confusion here is over "visa" vs "status". The OP in this thread is talking about getting a new visa stamp (a card with a picture glued onto a passport page), the USDOS link you post talks about extending your status in the country (they use "visa" term because most people confuse the status and visa, but the form I-539 on that page is the EOS form and does not do anything to the visa). The latter is possible anywhere, the former is only in a consulate.
replies(1): >>45168442 #
7. em-bee ◴[08 Sep 25 14:05 UTC] No.45168442{6}[source]▶
the former is only in a consulate

there is no confusion, my argument is that this is only true for the US. according to my experience no other country does it that way because in most countries, visa and status are one and the same thing. no visa, no status. or, if there is a difference, then extending your status also extends your visa, or vice versa. and you do it in the country. not outside.

i also reject the claim that there is no one inside any country that could verify the status of a foreigner, only consulates outside the country could do that. that is straight out nonsense.

replies(1): >>45168984 #
8. pandaman ◴[08 Sep 25 14:45 UTC] No.45168984{7}[source]▶
How do you physically "extend" a visa? Do other countries have visas where you can print a new expiration date? You mentioned China, and I looked up images of a Chinese visa, there doesn't seem to be a place to put a new date, it has one field after 'Enter before', are you sure you got a new visa stamp with your extension of status?

i also reject the claim that there is no one inside any country that could verify the status of a foreigner

That's good since I haven't made such a claim!

replies(1): >>45172900 #
9. em-bee ◴[08 Sep 25 19:38 UTC] No.45172900{8}[source]▶
you get a new sticker. in some countries you just get a stamp.

you made two claims:

a visa stamp can only be issued by a consulate

what other institution [besides a consulate] is equipped to vet foreigners for visa eligibility? (implying that there are none)

both of those are not true.

replies(1): >>45173038 #
10. pandaman ◴[08 Sep 25 19:49 UTC] No.45173038{9}[source]▶
A US visa stamp is only issued in a consulate. It's true.

A question not being true is a novel concept to me. I was genuinely curious what country has an office equipped to interview and background check any foreigner in the world. But apparently it's not true, whatever that means.

replies(1): >>45173114 #
11. em-bee ◴[08 Sep 25 19:55 UTC] No.45173114{10}[source]▶
i was referring to the implication that no such place exists
replies(1): >>45173649 #
12. pandaman ◴[08 Sep 25 20:37 UTC] No.45173649{11}[source]▶
You also proclaimed that one can "renew" a US visa in the country. You seem to be reading something that is not written and knowing something that is not true. Good luck with that!
replies(1): >>45175903 #
13. em-bee ◴[09 Sep 25 00:25 UTC] No.45175903{12}[source]▶
are you referring to this? https://www.usa.gov/extend-visa

sorry, renew and extend don't really mean anything different to me, because the end result is the same: you get to stay longer. i don't see why they should be different and why that should matter.